The Tri-Lamb Young Leaders Program was developed this year to create a forum of young producers and leaders from the United States, Australia and New Zealand to share ideas, network and to broaden the understanding of sheep production practices in all three countries. Each country will have representatives participating in the forum for two years with meetings and tours in Australia and New Zealand in 2016 and meetings and tours in the United States in 2017. New representatives will be selected in 2018.

The American Lamb Board received more than 50 applications for the program this year from an impressive group of young leaders from across the country. It was a very difficult process to narrow the pool of talent down to two candidates and in fact, the selection committee ended up choosing four individuals.

"We were so impressed and excited by the passion and range of talent from the applicants. Their stories have inspired new thinking about marketing lamb and ways to support and encourage young leaders to get more engaged in our industry organization", said Wes Patton, ALB chairman. "The young leaders that applied make us hopeful for our industry's future."

The four candidates that have been selected to participate in the first Tri-Lamb Young Leaders Forum representing the United States are Brad Osguthorpe (Utah), Karissa Maneotis (Colo.), Katie Olagaray (Kan./Calif.) and Ryan Mahoney (Calif.).

Osguthorpe is a third generation sheep rancher from Park City, Utah. Alongside his wife, two brothers and father, they run a 10,000 ewe sheep operation. Osguthorpe has a tremendous passion for the sheep industry and eagerness to continue being actively involved in the American Sheep Industry as a whole.

Maneotis and her family run a large sheep operation, High Country Lamb, outside of Steamboat Springs, Colo. They sell all of their lamb to local Whole Foods Markets. Karissa also works at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colo., and helped oversee the 2015 National Lamb Quality Audit.

Olagaray and her family are third-generation Basque sheep producers from Northern California. She is currently pursuing her master's degree and soon Ph.D. in ruminant nutrition with a dairy focus at Kansas State University. She hopes to return back to California to work alongside her dad on his operation or begin her own flock.

Mahoney is a fifth-generation rancher from the Montezuma Hills of California. Mahoney works with the Emigh Lamb Operation and runs their feedlot in Dixon, Calif. His progressive ideas about feeding lambs will help the Industry become more efficient.

Reprinted from the American Lamb Board

ASI

ASI keeps sheep industry members updated on ASI activities and industry news by regularly distributing and updating various information pieces and sources.